Black Swan Dredge
1872 Mr Christian, North Fremantle assembled the dredge that came out in sections from UK, using Convict labour – Scuttled 1911
Bucket Ladder Dredge.
- Construction
- Iron bottom replaced with jarrah 12 HP up to 32HP with large flywheel, Maudslay Son and Field
- Size
- length 27.4m beam 7.3m depth
- Owner
- Public Works Department
- Location
- Outside old North Mole, Fremantle (now landfill)
- Underwater
- Towed outside Old North Mole and scuttled with other plant – now under landfill of new North Mole.
Gallery
History
Bucket ladder dredge, 18 buckets, could dredge 9 ft
Came out to WA in 1872, worked by convict labour, dredged Perth Esplanade.
1887 repaired, iron bottom replaced with jarrah and bucket ladder increased from 18 to 22 buckets, could dredge 15 ft.
Relaunched 1888 and renamed Black Swan. Worked with Priestman Dredge ‘C’ on bar removal and narrowing Fremantle Harbour entrance.
Worked Canning Reach and ‘Convict Fence’ 1892-96,
Perth Esplanade and Barrack St East reclamation works 1900-1911.
Scuttled 1911 with other plant outside old North Mole.
References
The West Australian 18 February 1936, Letters to Editor: ‘The Black Swan: Western Australia’s first dredge’
Swan River Improvements Black Swan Dredge PWD plan 4482
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Swan_(dredge)